Loose-leaf individual or general bank-ledger.



PATENTED NOV. 14, 1905.

M. P. BXLINE & E. BOURKE. LOOSE LEAF INDIVIDUAL OR GENERAL BANK LEDGER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26. 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

attorney J No. 804,713. PATENTED NOV. 14, 1905. M. P. EXLINE & B. BOURKE. LOOSE LEAF INDIVIDUAL OR GENERAL BANK LEDGER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26. 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wit aqua PATEN TED NOV. 14, 1905. M. P. EXLINE & B. BOURKE. I LOO$E LEAF INDIVIDUAL 0R GENERAL BANK LEDGER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26. 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 MARCUS P. EXLINE AND EDMUND BOURKE, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

LOOSE-LEAF INDIVIDUAL OR GENERAL BANK-LEDGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14, 1905.

Application filed July 26,1904. Serial No. 218,285.

To all mil/01m it may concern:

Be it known that we, MARCUS P. EXLINE and EDMUND BOURKE, citizens of the United States, residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loose- Leaf Individual or General Bank-Ledgers; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in loose-leaf individual or general bank-ledgers, and particularly to a system employing a current binder, a transfer or permanent binder, and a loose-leaf-fastening means for retaining the removable leaves in a positive assembled position with the permanent binder.

The object of the invention is to improve the structure of a ledger which employs one or more removable long or unperforated sheets and a plurality of removable short or perforated sheets for each of the long sheets. By the terms short and long applied to the leaves or sheets is meant, first, a leaf or sheet which when folded along a line of perforations near its outer edge does not extend fully to the edge of the book, and, second, the leaf or sheet is one of the ordinary size sheets relative to the cover of the book.

Another object of the invention is to construct a loose-leaf bank-ledger or the like which is provided with means whereby long or short leaves may be added to the ledger as they are required without defacing the same, thereby obviating the necessity of transferring the names entered upon one of the sheets.

A still further object of the invention is to improve the construction of a ledger, whereby additional sheets may be added thereto according to the demands necessitated by the addition of names to the ledger.

A further object is to improve the construction of a ledger, whereby each run or complete section may be permanently bound before the run is placed in the transfer or permanent binder.

Among other objects in view we contemplate the construction of a ledger which may be roduced at a minimum expense, but

which will not only be durable in construction, but greatly minimize the amount of work involved over the ordinary type of ledgers in which the peculiarly arranged leaves are permanently secured.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a removable long orunperforated sheet which is employed in the construction of a current binder and which is secured to a back employed in the construction of the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of an open transfer or permanent binder, showing a plurality of sheets secured upon a back, said sheets being not only secured in an assembled position by the fastening means carried by the back, but also by means which is mounted upon the sheets for the purpose of permanently securing the same together when a run or section is completed. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the binding means employed for the purpose of positively retaining the re movable leaves in a permanent assembled position. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of another embodiment of the binding means employed for retaining the removable leaves in a permanent assembled position. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the embodiment depicted in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a plan View of the reverse side of the long or unperforated removable leaf or sheet 3 shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the backs, showing a post structure secured thereto and removable sheets or leaves mounted upon the back and secured together by means of the post structure. Fig 8 is an inverted perspective view of the binding member depicted in Fig. 5.

In our present invention we have produced a loose-leaf binder in which there may be inserted enough of the long or unperforated and short or perforated leaves to make a run or section of any length of time deemed necessary at the time of first writing the names in the column provided for that purpose upon the long or unperforated sheets or leaves, and if when all of the sheets are filled it is found that no changes in names are necessary more short or perforated leaves may be inserted and the run carried on indefinitely.

Sufficient short or auxiliary leaves could be added to carry the run for one year or longer,

too

provided no additional names are desired to be added. If such should be the case, it would be necessary to insert one or more long or primary sheets upon which the extra names would be written. I By the insertion of the long or unperforated sheets at any time that it is found necessary to do so while the run or section is being completed the necessity of rewriting all the names contained in the ledger will be obviatedthat is, it will only be necessary to add long leaves sufiicient to accommodate the extra names and consequently the addition of the long leaves will necessitate the addition of short or perforated leaves. The construction of a current binder which is composed of the removable sheets or leaves has also a further advantage of producing a light and easy book to handle. After the section or run has been completed the separate leaves can be positioned within the permanent binder and subsequently secured in the transfer-ledger for future reference. After the completed run has been removed a plurality of new leaves or sheets may be positioned within the current binder of a ledger. The loose leaves when completed and ready for filing away are adapted to be bound into a run or section, and thereby form practically a completely-bound book-in a transfer or permanent binder.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, l designates one of the covers of a ledger, to which is secured in vertical parallel positions posts 2 2, upon which are removably mounted the sheets or leaves of each group of the current binder.

Referring to Fig. 1, the removable long or unperforated sheet 3 is provided with pri mary apertures which permit the leaf to be temporarily secured upon the posts 2. A plurality of auxiliary apertures 4 are formed upon each of the leaves or sheets which are employed in the present construction. Beneath the long or unperforated sheet 3 there is positioned a plurality of removable short or perforated leaves 4. Each of the leaves 4 is provided with a line of perforations 4 The auxiliary sheets or leaves 4 are assem-.

bled together between each two of the long or unperforated sheets 3. Referring to Fig. 2, the upper or top sheet is an unperforated sheet 3, and interposed between primary sheet 3 and the next succeeding long or unperforated sheet 3 there is shown a pair of short or perforated sheets 4. When it is found desirable to add additional sheets, it will be obvious that it will only be-necessary to remove a certain number of the sheets which are mounted upon the posts 2 of the temporary or current binder (depicted in Fig. 1) and place the desired number of sheets in position, subsequently repositioning the removed sheets upon the binder.

The sheets 3 are provided with columns 4 I for the proper entry to be made thereon, and upon the opposite side of said sheets they are so lined as to form a column a which is provided for the entry of individual, firm, or corporation names, such names being numerically designated in the column for facilitating the work involved in the making of the entries on the sheets of the ledger on the proper line with the particular name. By means of the removable short leaves when the run upon one of the lines has been completed the short leaf thus completed can be turned at the line of perforations, so that the names which are formed in column 4 upon the long leaf can be made to appear as if written upon the short leaf by positioning said short leaf back upon the long leaf, such as to place the names in a proper position relative to their respective line. Such positioning of the names can be easily ascertained by means of the numerical designation of the same.

After the run has been completed and it is desired to remove the leaves employed in the run or section from the current binder of a ledger and secure the leaves in such position as will not permit of the same being removed from a permanent assembled position we have provided improved binding means for accomplishing the same. The binding means employed in the assembling of the sheets in a permanent position comprises in its construction a pair of substantially L-shaped flexible strips 5 5, which are bent at 6 throughout their entire length, providing a pair of rightangled flanged extensions uponeach of the strips 5. Owing to the peculiar construction of the strips 5, the back formed thereby may be expanded for the purpose of permitting of the insertion of additional sheets therebetween. The strips are provided with primary apertures which register with the cor responding apertures formed upon the sheets or leaves when they are assembled therewith. Auxiliary apertures 4 are formed upon the strips 5 and are adapted to register with similarly-constructed apertures 4*, formed upon the leaves when said strips and leaves are assembled, as is depicted in Fig. 2 of the drawings. A metallic fastener 7 is positioned within the apertured portions 4* and 4 of the sheets and binding-strips, respectively, for retaining the same in an assembled position. T he prongs of the fastener 7 are preferably bent upon one of the strips 5, and the ends of the prongs are covered by means of a flexible strip 8, which may be formed integral with one of the strips 5 or secured thereto by any suitable means. An adhesive material is deposited upon the under surface of strip 8, thereby providing means for permanently assembling the same with the strip 5, upon which it is secured. When the strip 8 is positioned upon strip 5, as is depicted in the drawings, Fig. 2, at 8 it will be obvious that the strip entirely covers the bent ends of the fastener, thereby making it impossible to remove a sheet without destroying the sealing means of the permanent binder. It will be apparent that after a run or section has been completed and the fastening means has been positioned upon the sheets it is impossible to remove any sheet from the section without destroying the same or injuring the binder in so doing. After the section or run has been completed it is then positioned upon the posts 2 of the transfer or permanent binder forfuture reference. The embodiment of the binder de picted in Figs. 4 and 5 is similarly constructed to that shown in Figs. 2 and 3, except that the members 5 are constructed from metallic material and one of the same is provided with pronged extensions 7 which are stamped from said member and bent into approximately parallel position, thereby causing a pair of elongated apertures 7 b to be formed upon the member from which said extensions 7 are stamped. In a corresponding position to the portion 7 of the member 5 which is provided with the extensions 7 and upon the other coacting member 5 is formed an aperture 9, through which the extensions 7 a are to be projected and their outer ends bent at an angle to the body portion 7 a of the extensions when said members 5 are secured together, similar to the construction of the auxiliary securing means illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. It willbe clearly obvious in Fig. 2 that the prongs of thefastener7 are bent upon one of the strips 5. The extensions 7' will extend through the auxiliary apertures 4 of the removable sheets when the metallic members 5 are in an assembled position therewith. In this embodiment coverings 8 for the outer bent ends of the extensions 7" may be positioned upon the metallic member 5 which is provided with the apertured portions 9.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that we have constructed a looseleaf bankledger, which employs peculiarlyconstructed leaves, which are removably assembled in a current binder, such leaves being so arranged as to permit of the insertion of additional leaves at any time and eventually the securing of the leaves in a fixed position when the run is completed and it is desired to file the same away for reference.

While we have described in the foregoing description the preferred construction of our invention and illustrated such construction in the accompanying drawings, it will be obvious that certain alterations, modifications,

right to make such alterations, modifications and changes as shall fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the claims.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isi 1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a plurality of removable groups, each group comprising a removable primary and auxiliary sheet, binding means for securing said sheets together, comprising two angular members, one of said members provided with pronged extensions stamped from the'body portion thereof, and the other member provided with means to engage said prongs.

2- In a device of the character described, the combination with a back, of binding means carried by said back, comprising approximately L-shaped, overlapping members, a primary and an auxiliary transverselyperforated sheet secured between said members, prongs for securing said sheets and members in an adjusted position, and means for sealing the ends of the prongs.

3. A binding device, comprising overlapping members, one of said members provided with pronged extensions stamped from the body portion thereof, and the other member provided with means to engage said prongs, and means for covering and sealing the ends of said prongs.

4. A binding device, comprising overlapping, angular metallic strips, prongs carried by one of said strips, and the other strip provided with means to engage said prongs for retaining said strips in a fixed position, and means for sealing the ends of said prongs.

5. A binding device, comprising overlapping, angular strips, a pronged device carried by one of said strips, and projecting through the other strip, the ends of said pronged device being bent back upon the strip through which the prongs extend.

In testimony whereof we hereunto afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

. MARCUS P. EXLINE. EDMUND BOURKE.

Witnesses:

T. N. COLLIER, W. J MoCARTHxj 

